Ironing machine for ironing shoulders

ABSTRACT

An ironing machine for ironing sleeves of jackets, overcoats and similar garments, in which two halves of a garment form are carried by an upright support structure, to opposite sides of the latter and symmetrically with respect thereto. A pair of extension members are connected to upper portions of said halves, respectively, each having a downwardly extending portion separated by a cutout from the respective half. A pad is arranged in each cutout movable toward and away from the downwardly extending portion and a plate located outwardly of each downwardly extending portion is movable toward and away therefrom. The halves of the garment form have upper convexly curved surfaces adapted to cooperate with concavely curved surfaces of presser members movable in substantially vertical direction toward and away from the respective half.

United "States Patent 191 Cartabbia IRONING MACHINE FOR IRONING SHOULDERS [76] Inventor: Giovanni Cartabbia, Via Predore 10, 24067 Sarnico, Italy [22] Filed: July 19, 1974 [21] App]. No.: 490,217

Primary ExaminerGeo. V. Larkin Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Michael S. Striker 1 Jul 22, 1975 [57] ABSTRACT An ironing machine for ironing sleeves of jackets, overcoats and similar garments, in which two halves of a garment form are carried by an upright support structure, to opposite sides of the latter and symmetrically with respect thereto. A pair of extension membets are connected to upper portions of said halves, respectively, each having a downwardly extending portion separated by a cutout from the respective half. A pad is arranged in each cutout movable toward and away from the downwardly extending portion and a plate located outwardly of each downwardly extending portion is movable toward and away therefrom. The halves of the garment form have upper convexly curved surfaces adapted to cooperate with concavely curved surfaces of presser members movable in substantially vertical direction toward and away from the respective half.

10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUL22 ms v 895,749

SHEET 1 Fig-1 PATENTED JUL 22 "a a 9 5 749 sum 2 IRONING MACHINE FOR IRONING SHOULDERS This invention relates to an ironing machine, adapted to ensure a perfect ironing of shoulders and sleeves of jackets, overcoats and other apparel goods.

As is well known, in the clothing manufacturing industry more or less complicated machines are being used to carry out the ironing of the various clothing items.

Among these, considerable difficulties are encountered in the ironing of jackets and overcoats, above all at the shoulders and at the joints of the sleeves to the remainder of the garment. By using the traditional-type ironing machine, it is in fact not possible to quickly obtain a goodfinish, due to the excess of fabric present at the axillary. portion of the jackets themselves. The aforementioned inconveniences are remedied by the improved ironing machine according to the present invention. The ironing machine of this invention includes particularly designed and structurally built devices, specially developed for ironing the shoulders and the upper portions of the sleeves of a jacket, an overcoat or another similar clothing item.

More in detail, the ironing machine according to this invention includes a section for ironing the right-hand portion and a section for ironing the left-hand portion of a jacket or an overcoat. Each of the said sections is made up of a structure, showing a configuration corre sponding to the half of a garment form, fastened on a special column and disposed at a suitable height. The portion of the said form corresponding to the shoulder is internally hollow and provided with an overhanging extension piece of oval configuration adapted to fit snuglyin the upper portion of a sleeve.

Said extension piece of oval configuration is structurally built so as to constitute a vaporizing and blowing member capable of humidifying and maintaining the sleeve forming fabric conveniently inflated. Inside the hollow portion of the garment form a vertically disposed pad may horizontally slide, which compresses the inner portion of the jacket, adjacent the said oval extension piece, exerting at the same time a vaporizing action. At the outer portion of the sleeve, there is a plate moving close thereto, which also shows an oval configuration, and connected in turn with a vaporizing circuit. On the shoulder of the jacket a suitably shaped structure presses from above, exerting on the fabric a humidifying and heating action.

These and further characteristic features of a functional and constructional nature of the ironing unit for ironing sleeves of jackets and overcoats according to this invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the various figures on the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 represents the ironing machine of this invention in a perspective view;

FIG. 2 shows in a vertical sectional view one of the two operating sections of the ironing machine according to this invention;

FIG. 3 represents the same operating section in a side view;

FIG. 4 shows in a schematic form the operating cycle of the ironing machine referred to above;

FIG. 5 shows in a side view a detail of the ironing machine of this invention, including a garment form and the various kinematic motions controlling the alternating oscillatory and alternating rectilinear motions of the plate, designed to move close to the projecting side extension piece of the garment form;

FIG. 6 represents a detailed view of the lever pivoted about an axis, supporting the plate 11, and which is caused to oscillate by a pneumatic cylinder;

FIG. 7 shows a side view of a pneumatic cylinder, which causes the arm supporting the said plate, to effect an alternating rectilinear translatory motion, thereby bringing it close to, or remote from the overhanging extension piece of the garment form.

Referring now particularly to the various figures on the accompanying drawing, the ironing machine of this invent'nn includes an intermediate structure 1, containing the various operation members and circuits and on the sides of which there are placed two device 2 and 2', symmetrically with respect to the structure 1 and adapted to perform the treatment of the two longitudinal halves of a jacket 3 or an overcoat.

In particular, the said devices are made up of the half of a garment form 4, having cutout 5 in the portion underlying its shoulder, and provided external to the latter, with an overhanging extension piece 6 of oval configuration. This overhanging extension piece 6 is so shaped, as to serve as support means for the upper portion of one of the sleeves 7 of a jacket or overcoat 3. The garment form half 4 is so structurally built as to exert a heating and a dehumidifying action on the fabric of the jacket or overcoat.

The overhanging extension piece 6, besides the aforementioned heating and vaporizing action, performs also a blowing action, adapted to maintain the sleeve 7 properly inflated and stretched, when the lower portion of the sleeve is closed by means of a band 8. Within the cut out 5 of the garment form 4 a properly shaped pad 9, integral with shaft 10 may horizontally slide. Said pad 9 maintains the jacket fixed in its correct position and presses the inner portion of the jacket against the overhanging extension piece 6, adjacent the lower attachment of the sleeve, exerting on the fabric a heating and vaporizing action. The outer portion of the sleeve 7, placed at the overhanging exten sion piece 6, is ironed in turn through a plate 11, of oval configuration. The said plate 11, disposed in a vertical position is articulated by means of arm 12, suitably connected to a motion mechanism, enclosed in the structure 1.

More specifically, the said arm 12 accomplishes two subsequent motions along two directions orthogonal to each other, placing at first the plate 11 parallel to, but spaced from the overhanging extension piece 6 and then close to the overhanging extension piece 6. Such a result is obtained by using a pneumatic cylinder 18, hinged at a pin 21 to an extension piece 22, fitted to the carrying frame of the ironing machine of this invention. The said pneumatic cylinder 18 is provided with a piston rod 17, connected via the pin 23 to the end 12' of the arm 12.

The latter may describe besides an alternating oscillatory motion about the shaft 16, also reciprocating axial sliding motion along the axis of the shaft 16. Said movement is controlled by a pneumatic cylinder 20, having a piston rod 19, which by describing an alternating rectilinear motion causes the arm 12 to translate along the shaft 16, thereby determining the approach and removal of the plate 11 to and respectively from the extension piece 6 of the garment form 4. The same plate 11 is connected further to three pipes 13, 13 and 13 respectively connected to a heating circuit and a steam circuit. The said plate ll-is thus capable of exerting a heating and humidifying action on the upper portion of the sleeve 7 of the jacket 3 or the overcoat. The ironing unit according to this invention also includes a presser member 14 the lower face of which is so shaped as to join the upper portion of the garment form 4 over which there is snugly fitted the shoulder of the jacket or the overcoat. The presser member 14 is heated and provided with a plurality of holes through which steam flows, and this steam can suitably humidify the fabric of the jacket or the overcoat.

It should be noted that the outer perimetral line of the member 14 and the upper perimetral line of the plate 11 are suitably bent in order not to form on the shoulder of the jacket or the overcoat any improper boundary lines between both ironing sections. The control of the various moving parts of the ironing devices is preferably effected by means of a pair of pedals 15 and 15', disposed in the lower portion of a platforms 16.

The layout in FIG. 4 clearly explains the operating cycle of the ironing unit according to the present invention. In practice, the overcoat or the jacket 3 is initially arranged on the device 2, to carry out the ironing of a half of the overcoat or the jacket. The same jacket or overcoat is then transferred onto the device 2', permitting the ironing of the other half.

It should be stressed here that the ironing cycle pro- .vides at first the clamping of the inner under-axillary portion of the jacket or overcoat, which is maintained fixed in its correct position by the compression action, exerted by the pad 9 against the overhanging extension piece 6. Later on the plate 14 moves downwardly upon the action of a hydraulic cylinder 14, secured to the framework of the machine and effecting the ironing of the zonecorresponding to a shoulder of the overcoat or jacket 3. in a subsequent phase, the plate 11 moves close to the outer upper surface of the sleeve 7, which is maintained in contact with the said plate 11, also resulting from a blowing action, exerted by the overhanging extension piece 6 on the sleeve 7; the latter is closed at the lower portion by means of a band 8.

From the foregoing description and from perusal of the various figures on the accompanying drawing one may see easily the function and practical application of the ironing machine of this invention to iron the shoulders and the sleeves of a jacket or an overcoat.

What we claim is:

1. An ironing machine for ironing the sleeves of jackets, overcoats or similar garments, comprising an upright central support structure; two halves of a garment form respectively arranged to opposite sides and symmetrically with respect to said central support structure for supporting the shoulders of a jacket or the like; a pair of extension members of substantially oval cross section for said halves, each having an upper portion fixed to the respective half and a downwardly extending portion separated from the respective half by a cutout, said downwardly extending portion adapted to extend into a respective sleeve of the jacket; a pad located in each cutout; means fixed to said pad for reciprocating the same in substantially horizontal direction; a pair of substantially vertical plates located outwardly of said downwardly extending portions, respectively;

and means supporting said plates for oscillating motion about an axis between afirst position and a second position substantially aligned in horizontal direction with said pad and for reciprocating movement along said axis.

2. An ironing machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the two halves of said garment form and said extension members are hollow with the interiors of said halves and the respective extension member communicating with each other, said halves and said extension members being formed with holes, and including means for feeding steam into the interior of said halves and said extension members adapted to pass through said holes, and means for feeding compressed air into said extension member to inflate sleeves into which said extension members are inserted when the sleeves are closed at the lower ends thereof. I

3. An ironing machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said means supporting each of said plates comprise an arm, means mounting said arm on said central support structure for oscillating movement about said axis, and

,means connected to said arm for oscillating the same about said axis. 7

4. An ironing machine as defined in claim 3, wherein said oscillating means comprise cylinder and piston means pivotally connected to said support structure and having a piston rod pivotally connected at one end thereof to said arm.

5. An ironing machine as defined in claim 3, wherein said mounting means for said arm comprise a shaft extending in substantially horizontal direction, and including means connected to said arm for reciprocating the latter in the direction of the axis of said shaft.

6. An ironing machine as defined in claim 3, wherein each of said plates is connected to a heating circuit and a steam circuit, including ducts extending along the respective arm.

7. An ironing machine as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said plates has a substantial oval outer peripheral surface. 7

8. An ironing machine as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said halves of said garment form has an upper convexly curved surface, and including a presser mem her for each of said halves and having a concavely curved bottom face substantially matching said convexly curved surface, and means for moving said presser member in substantially vertical direction toward and away from said upper convexly curved surface.

9. An ironing machine as defined in claim 8, wherein said moving means for said presser member comprise cylinder and piston means mounted on said support structure and connected to said presser member.

10. An ironing machine as defined in claim 8, wherein said presser member is hollow and formed in said bottom face thereof with a plurality of holes and means for heating said presser member and for feeding steam into the interior thereof adapted to pass through said holes, said concavely curved bottom face of said presser member and said outer peripheral surface of each of said plates are bent to avoid improper bound- 1 ary lines on a garment to be'pressed. 

1. An ironing machine for ironing the sleeves of jackets, overcoats or similar garments, comprising an upright central support structure; two halves of a garment form respectively arranged to opposite sides and symmetrically with respect to said central support structure for supporting the shoulders of a jacket or the like; a pair of extension members of substantially oval cross section for said halves, each having an upper portion fixed to the respective half and a downwardly extending portion separated from the respective half by a cutout, said downwardly extending portion adapted to extend into a respective sleeve of the jacket; a pad located in each cutout; means fixed to said pad for reciprocating the same in substantially horizontal direction; a pair of substantially vertical plates located outwardly of said downwardly extending portions, respectively; and means supporting said plates for oscillating motion about an axis between a first position and a second position substantially aligned in horizontal direction with said pad and for reciprocating movement along said axis.
 2. An ironing machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the two halves of said garment form and said extension members are hollow with the interiors of said halves and the respective extension member communicating wIth each other, said halves and said extension members being formed with holes, and including means for feeding steam into the interior of said halves and said extension members adapted to pass through said holes, and means for feeding compressed air into said extension member to inflate sleeves into which said extension members are inserted when the sleeves are closed at the lower ends thereof.
 3. An ironing machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said means supporting each of said plates comprise an arm, means mounting said arm on said central support structure for oscillating movement about said axis, and means connected to said arm for oscillating the same about said axis.
 4. An ironing machine as defined in claim 3, wherein said oscillating means comprise cylinder and piston means pivotally connected to said support structure and having a piston rod pivotally connected at one end thereof to said arm.
 5. An ironing machine as defined in claim 3, wherein said mounting means for said arm comprise a shaft extending in substantially horizontal direction, and including means connected to said arm for reciprocating the latter in the direction of the axis of said shaft.
 6. An ironing machine as defined in claim 3, wherein each of said plates is connected to a heating circuit and a steam circuit, including ducts extending along the respective arm.
 7. An ironing machine as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said plates has a substantial oval outer peripheral surface.
 8. An ironing machine as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said halves of said garment form has an upper convexly curved surface, and including a presser member for each of said halves and having a concavely curved bottom face substantially matching said convexly curved surface, and means for moving said presser member in substantially vertical direction toward and away from said upper convexly curved surface.
 9. An ironing machine as defined in claim 8, wherein said moving means for said presser member comprise cylinder and piston means mounted on said support structure and connected to said presser member.
 10. An ironing machine as defined in claim 8, wherein said presser member is hollow and formed in said bottom face thereof with a plurality of holes, and means for heating said presser member and for feeding steam into the interior thereof adapted to pass through said holes, said concavely curved bottom face of said presser member and said outer peripheral surface of each of said plates are bent to avoid improper boundary lines on a garment to be pressed. 